The average household throws most of their product packaging straight into their recycling boxes, without checking whether or not they can be recycled or if some part of the packaging should be shredded.
What You Can Shred
You can shred anything that is paper or cardboard, depending on the type of shredder you have at home and what it can handle. Always read the manual of your shredder before attempting to shred anything other than a piece of standard paper. For instance, if you’re trying to shred a piece of cardboard that has your name and address on it.
When it comes to what you should shred, instead of what you can shred, you need to take into account any part of the product packaging that includes your personal information; especially if the product was shipped to your address from a company or third-party seller. This is because your name, address, and even your phone number and email can be included on the outside packaging of the product that you purchase. This sensitive information can be used for many misdeeds, including and not limited to identity theft; which is one of the biggest concerns of any business.
But you should also look out for any invoices included with your product, as these will also list sensitive and personal pieces of information. If you aren’t keeping the invoice for your records, remember to shred it as soon as possible to avoid accidentally throwing it away.
Why Shred Food Packaging
Food crime is a serious threat to business. The Food Standards Agency started spreading the word about fraudulent food in the UK back in 2016, and the issue is no less serious today. When food packaging isn’t properly disposed of, it opens up the possibility of the packaging being reused to package cheaper food and then allows it to be resold illegally. Common food items at risk of this kind of food crime are dairy products, alcohol, olive oil, and rice. It might seem strange to shred your food packaging, but if your household has time to do so, you will be part of the effort to reduce food crime and the selling of counterfeit foodstuffs in used packaging.
Of course, it isn’t the households that are at fault here. The most common cause of counterfeit food sales are enabled by the waste packaging of the original product falling into the hands of the wrong people. This can be avoided by having food packaging and labels destroyed by professional shredding companies.
Why Shred Product Packaging
As we mentioned before, any type of product that you have delivered to you or you order online to be picked up will contain an invoice or a have a label on it somewhere which indicates that you purchased it. These types of labels, which can be backed onto cardboard boxes, stamped onto product packaging, or included as paper slips, contain personal information which is sensitive and should be properly disposed of to avoid information theft.
At Greenaway, we operate a fully outsourced shredding service, so when we say we can shred anything, we mean it. Our industrial shredders are up to any challenge, including product packaging. If you’re looking for someone to help you dispose of your confidential product packaging safely and securely, just get in touch with the team at Greenaway today.
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